Stay Diligent

A top 20 recruit. That’s who I was. All my life I worked persistently to aquire one thing, something called Division 1 athletics. I was months away from becoming this athlete that I had always dreamed of. Unfortunately, I went into a tackle that changed that path drastically. A call from the surgeon confirmed that I had completely torn my ACL, MCL, and Meniscus in the left knee with 12 Months of pysical therapy ahead. My world shattered into pieces — this was the lowest I’ve ever been. I never thought that all this hard work would come down to one moment. A moment that would truly define my character. It took me hours after that phone call to realize that I was more than just an athlete — I was someone behind this mask. It finally clicked that I can’t be defined by my failures, or my injuries, and this mistake was just a foundation in which to build. I wasn’t lost, I was just redirected. I pushed myself beyond my limits, going to bed in tears hoping that one day it’ll all be over. But I did this so that I would come out on the other side stronger. This injury also allowed me to enjoy the simple things in life. Things such as walking, running, and just being able to attend school without the feeling of being the “black sheep”. I truly believe everything happens for a reason and now I finally understand. Although I’m not who I used to be, I would bet on all odds that the girl I was a year ago before this injury is proud of the women I am becoming. This is a reminder that life is going to come at you hard, but you can’t run away — take it on head first.